1896/97 – Newton Heath | Manchester United News
1896/97 – Newton Heath

The 1896–97 season was Newton Heath‘s fifth season in the Football League and their third in the Second Division.

They finished second in the league, which earned them a chance for promotion back to the First Division. United played two Test matches against each of the bottom two teams from the First Division, but although they beat Burnley at Bank Street, they were unable to overcome Sunderland and remained in the Second Division. In the FA Cup, the Heathens managed to reach the Third Round, before losing 2–0 to Derby County for the second year in a row.

The club also entered teams in the Lancashire and Manchester Senior Cups in 1896–97. They were knocked out of the Lancashire Cup in the second round, losing 2–1 away to Burnley. In the Manchester Cup, they received a bye to the third round, where they beat Manchester City, before losing 2–0 to Bury in the semi-finals. Newton Heath’s registered colours are given as white and blue in the Association of Football Statistics annual covering the 1896/97 season.

Second Division

 

Date Opponents H / A ResultF – A Scorers Attendance
1 September 1896 Gainsborough Trinity H 2 – 0 McNaught (2) 4,000
5 September 1896 Burton Swifts A 5 – 3 Brown, Bryant, Cassidy,Draycott, McNaught 3,000
7 September 1896 Walsall H 2 – 0 Cassidy, Donaldson 7,000
12 September 1896 Lincoln City H 3 – 1 Cassidy (2), Donaldson 2,000
19 September 1896 Grimsby Town A 0 – 2 3,000
21 September 1896 Walsall A 3 – 2 Brown, Draycott, McNaught 7,000
26 September 1896 Newcastle United H 4 – 0 Cassidy (3), Donaldson 7,000
3 October 1896 Manchester City A 0 – 0 20,000
10 October 1896 Small Heath H 1 – 1 Draycott 7,000
17 October 1896 Blackpool A 2 – 4 Bryant, Draycott 5,000
21 October 1896 Gainsborough Trinity A 0 – 2 4,000
24 October 1896 Burton Wanderers H 3 – 0 Cassidy (3) 4,000
7 November 1896 Grimsby Town H 4 – 2 Cassidy (2), Donaldson,Jenkyns 5,000
28 November 1896 Small Heath A 0 – 1 4,000
19 December 1896 Notts County A 0 – 3 5,000
25 December 1896 Manchester City H 2 – 1 Donaldson, Smith 18,000
26 December 1896 Blackpool H 2 – 0 Cassidy (2) 9,000
28 December 1896 Leicester Fosse A 0 – 1 8,000
1 January 1897 Newcastle United A 0 – 2 17,000
9 January 1897 Burton Swifts H 1 – 1 Donaldson 3,000
6 February 1897 Loughborough H 6 – 0 Smith (2), Boyd, Donaldson,Draycott, Jenkyns 5,000
20 February 1897 Leicester Fosse H 2 – 1 Boyd, Donaldson 8,000
2 March 1897 Darwen H 3 – 1 Cassidy (2), Boyd 3,000
13 March 1897 Darwen A 2 – 0 Cassidy, Gillespie 2,000
20 March 1897 Burton Wanderers A 2 – 1 Gillespie, Lowe (o.g.) 3,000
22 March 1897 Woolwich Arsenal H 1 – 1 Boyd 3,000
27 March 1897 Notts County H 1 – 1 Bryant 10,000
1 April 1897 Lincoln City A 3 – 1 Jenkyns (3) 1,000
3 April 1897 Woolwich Arsenal A 2 – 0 Boyd, Donaldson 6,000
10 April 1897 Loughborough A 0 – 2 3,000
Pos Club Pld W D L GF GA Pts
1 Notts County 30 19 4 7 92 43 42
2 Newton Heath 30 17 5 8 56 34 39
3 Grimsby Town 30 17 4 9 66 44 38

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points

Test Matches

Date Opponents H / A ResultF – A Scorers Attendance
19 April 1897 Burnley A 0 – 2 10,000
21 April 1897 Burnley H 2 – 0 Boyd, Jenkyns 7,000
24 April 1897 Sunderland H 1 – 1 Boyd 18,000
26 April 1897 Sunderland A 0 – 2 6,000

FA Cup

Date Round Opponents H / A ResultF – A Scorers Attendance
12 December 1896 First Round Qualifying West Manchester H 7 – 0 Cassidy (2), Gillespie (2), Rothwell (2),Bryant 6,000
2 January 1897 Second Round Qualifying Nelson H 3 – 0 Stephenson, Bryant, unknown 5,000
15 January 1897 Third Round Qualifying Blackpool H 2 – 2 Gillespie, Donaldson 1,500
20 January 1897 Third Round QualifyingReplay Blackpool A 2 – 1 Bryant, Cassidy 1,500
30 January 1897 First Round Kettering Town H 5 – 1 Cassidy (2), Donaldson (2), Bryant 5,000
13 February 1897 Second Round Southampton St. Mary’s A 1 – 1 Donaldson 8,000
17 February 1897 Second RoundReplay Southampton St. Mary’s H 3 – 1 Bryant (2), Cassidy 7,000
27 February 1897 Third Round Derby County A 0 – 2 12,000